Uechi-Ryu.com

It's no secret that I try to lace most of my topics with an emotional component ! Emotions play a key role in who you are , how you appear to others , how you behave in public , how you communicate with others , what signals you send out , how you use your language skills , how you look at people in social events , the ways you express yourself in writing , how you annoy others , the friends or enemies you will make and the jeopardy you can create for yourself for not been able to understand and implement these concepts in your daily life and in a defensive situation !

Studies show that Anglo-Saxons , in general, are more stunted in this regard than their more European counterparts ! You see it in the mannerism of today's society which at times engenders some explosive reactions ! It is very prevalent in road rage and in the work place where I focus much of my investigations of harassment , mental injuries and intentional infliction of emotional distress !


One incident I will never forget is when one of our claims people , dealing with a Mafia family of Italian roots on an insurance claim , said certain things and acted in a certain way perfectly in tune with his upbringing, but > that infuriated the ' foreigners' to the point the case was reassigned to me in order to intercede for my colleague and to smooth things out !

The working of the emotional mind is state specific to feelings of the moment . How we think in romance , for example, is of course different than how we behave when in fear , dejection or rage !

The responses to various emotional situations are a reshuffling of memory and options for action so that those most understood and programmed in relevance are at the top of your mental 'hard disk ' quickly enacted by reflex impulse !


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Van Canna

[This message has been edited by VAN CANNA (edited 03-07-99).]

Dear Van-San,
What you wrote is so true. Actually I was thinking this morning about how big a part emotions play in our lives. The thought occurred to me that, perhaps women live longer than men, in part, because they are conditioned to embrace and express emotions more so than men. There have been studies documenting how people have succesfully fought cancer through laughter and positivity. I can't help but think that the reverse must be true. That is, supressing emotions must have some adverse effect on our health! Ironically it is precicely this emotionality that often casts women in a victim's role. But hey! We still live longer, so we must be doing something right!

Peace,
Melanie

Van,

I have heard before that Anglo-Saxons were more stiff-upper-lipped, cold and emotionless in their dealings with others. I never thought much about it before, and don't know if it is true, but it is interesting.

Interesting thread.

I thought that studying the martial arts would help me control my emotions.

In a way they have: sometimes in sparring I am pushed to the limits of frustration, sometimes even a little panic, and a little pit of what I call "near anger", where a certain movement done by the opponent is almost enough to tick me off but since I know this is a class (like a near miss that could have nailed me , or un-controlled hit that is an accident) I can check the bad emotions. I have learned how to center more easily so that I can be focussed when under stress. The little bits of fight-or-flight that can creep up, I think, are good for you, provided that you are not REALLY trying to kill each other (or your opponent is not really trying to kill you, which has happened.)

But then again, I wonder. Is it my training, or is it growing up and older that is giving me temperance? Life never stops messing with you, does it? Nope!

Cecil

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How many times have we watched people train
without emotion.. It really neuters the
effect.

Alas; although it is appears in the present that Anglo Saxons are a bit more phlegmatic than their Italian brethren, this may not have always been the case.

Anglo Saxon itself is a word identifying (now) a (dare I say it) racial and cultural hybrid that may well exist only in our minds.

My "name" appears to be Saxon (Thurston-Thurstan=Thor's Son) or at least Norse in its origin and, I suppose, I might be better able to control mytemper than some mediterrean types.

This notwithstanding. let us not forget who gave us the word "Berserk" (When a Saxon or Norseman worked himself into a battle frenzy and donned the "Bear-Sark" (bearskin) and waded cheerfully into battle oblivious of the notion of death (at least for a while).

Yet it was the calculated cool and ironclad discipline of the Norman feudal system and its military (plus a good chunk of greed) that conquered England, Ireland, Greece (Nor well remebered) and Outremer (the Holy Lands) in the 12th century.

To digress:I am unclear exactly on the relationship of Hagakure to overall Japanese
willingness to absorb casualties in the pacific wars. Perhaps Van Sensei can enlighten us here. Yet it became clear that the "over" willingness of some Japanese garrsions in the early going to use the "Banzai" charge did not work to there tactical benefit. In the words of a survivor of the Ichiki Brigade (abandoned on Guadalcanal) "We were spoiled, we were used to fighting the Chinese".

At the time, this was correct, and is not intended to cast any slurs on anyone. The ferocity of the Japanese Army in China did break many "regular" Chinese line units, but did not, ultimately win the war or defeat the Guerrilla. The tactics did drive the KMT from its power base in the coastal and industrial cities.

The Japanese learned that the Banzai Charge was not working as planned, and made an effort to modify their "defensive" tactics. As a result casualties among American attackers went up steadily.

This is a REAL oversimplification, for which I apologize. The Divine Wind pilots still managed (almost) to destroy the American Navy off Okinawa. I recommend the book on the Battle of Okinawa "Tennozan", "Good Bye Darkness" by William Manchester "My Fathers' War" (if you can find it).

It struck me oddly that a crewman from the Super Battleship "Yamato" rumored (incorrectly) to have been sent on a suicide mission to destroy the American Navy around Okinawa said soemthing to the following effect: "Planes were falling everywhere, yet the Americans staged an elaborate feint to draw our fire away from one downed pilot, who they then rescued with an amphibous aircraft-this willingness to expend so much to save one man shocked me"

The Yamato was overwhelmed by carrier borne aircraft to the point that when her magazines blew, the explosing swatted twenty attacking planes from the sky like flies.

Sorry to digress so egregiously.

JOHN T


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hello all!

Please don't mistake my extended absences from this forum as resulting from a lack of interest. Nothing could be further from the truth. I don't often have access to e-mail, but when I do this is the first place I surf to.

Doctor-X-san,
How flattering for all us women! We drive men into their early graves. Poor hard-done- by men. Sigh.....

Melanie

With All Due Respect:

Talk of Cultural Diversity will get you in trouble with the Republicans!

MFH Biz/Mktng Forum
iac1@unm.edu
Alb NM

[This message has been edited by MFH (edited 03-28-99).]